Love at the workplace is the new social glue for migrant workers from eastern India moving to Kerala in droves for higher wages and a welfare net that includes insurance and accommodation. The trend is reflected in many Malayali women marrying “guest workers” in India’s homegrown Gulf, which is projected to have a migrant population of around 50 lakh by 2030.
An exodus of young, educated Malayali men seeking professional opportunities abroad seems to have created not just a productivity gap in the state but also played a role in local women choosing their life partners from among eligible bachelors from the east looking to settle in Kerala.
Rajendra Naik, a native of Odisha employed as a machine operator in a plywood factory in Perumbavoor, married Rajani from Kollam some years ago after a distant relative of the bride’s family suggested the match.
“It was an arranged marriage, and we met at her house,” says Rajendra. “I am more of a Malayali now, although my surname is a giveaway. I love the local festivals, and my wife makes excellent fish curry. Life couldn’t be better.”
Rajendra and Rajani’s children speak Malayalam and can understand Odiya, bridging whatever remains of the regional and cultural divide.
The influx of migrants from Bengal, Bihar, Assam and Odisha has been critical to sustaining productivity in Kerala for over a decade. Even an unskilled labourer can earn up to Rs 25,000 in monthly wages, far above the national average.
Rajendra, who is also the vice president of the AITUC-affiliated National Migrant Workers’ Union (NMWU), says eligible young men from the eastern region are preferred as grooms because they work hard, are willing to stay back in Kerala, adapt culturally, and don’t expect dowry.
Learning Malayalam poses a problem, but many workers pick up the language after spending years in the state. LDF govt’s encouragement of migrants, officially referred to as guest workers, through various schemes makes settling in Kerala an easy choice to make for most.
Most cross-cultural weddings occur in the hinterland and the hilly parts of Kerala, where migrant workers are employed as carpenters, masons, rubber tappers and farmhands. “The urge to have a life partner increases when you work in remote areas. Cultural identities don’t matter,” says Aman Naik, a foreman in a timber mill. Aman fell in love with Raji, a resident of Wayanad, and approached her family with a marriage proposal. They accepted him without hesitation.
Sabeenath, from Kattapanna in Idukki, was a single mother when she met Aliyar, a Bihar native. “My first husband deserted me, but Aliyar was ready to accept me with my children,” she says.
The family bought a small house in Perumbavoor and settled there.
Sandhya R S, professor and head of the sociology department at Kerala University, believes that learning Malayalam is the key to assimilation for migrant workers.
“What makes this trend interesting is that many of these migrants don’t stay in their old jobs long. Some start businesses or secure better jobs over time, which helps them gain stability and respect,” she says.
A demographic study on migrant workers released by Central University of Punjab in 2021 pegged the number of migrant workers in Kerala till 2017-18 at 31 lakh.
Currently, one out of every four workers in Kerala are from other states. The ratio is even more skewed in urban areas like Ernakulam, where one out of every two workers are migrants.
Binu Bos, general secretary of NMWU, says social acceptance of migrant workers in Kerala results from consistent efforts by various organisations, including his union.
“There was a time when these workers were subjected to exploitation. Their daily wage in 2002 was Rs 250, while native workers used to get Rs 700. The union created awareness about wages. We encouraged them to invest their money in Kerala and educate their children in the schools here,” he says.
Benoy Peter, executive director of Centre for Migration and Inclusive Development, points out that Kerala now offers the best working conditions for migrant workers.
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